The Bigger Lights: After years of being in bands lacking direction and momentum, Topher Talley (vocals) was in the market for something special. In July 2007, Topher met future bandmates J.K. Royston (guitar/vocals) and Dan Mineart (bass/vocals) at a local show. The three found that they shared similar musical tastes, aspirations, and the desire to be a part of something more serious than their current projects. After experiencing Topher's soaring range and memorably visual performance at a small local show, J.K. and Dan approached him with the idea of a musical collaboration. With the addition of Mikey Davis (drums), the quartet moved to Fairfax, Virginia, and began writing and recording songs in their basement. "We couldn't really tell how people were going to react to what we were doing," Topher says. "We were just trying to write the kind of songs we thought we'd have fun playing." The band christened themselves The Bigger Lights (taken from Shakespeare's "The Tempest"), posted three demos online, and let the music do the rest. "We launched the page and were almost immediately holding our own with the biggest bands in our scene," J.K. says. "That was when we started to think we might have stumbled onto exactly what we'd all been looking for." With an infectiously energetic sound that draws equal comparison to pop and arena rock, The Bigger Lights have made significant strides in the last year. The self-produced and recorded EP "Third Act Stories" was released to the rave review of fans and industry alike in November of 2007. Within six months of formation, the band was selling out hometown shows and began receiving significant label attention. The group signed with indie powerhouse Doghouse Records (The All-American Rejects, Say Anything, Jet Lag Gemini) in the summer of 2008, less than one year after forming. With their debut EP for Doghouse Records (titled "Fiction Fever") slated for an early fall release and upcoming tour dates all across the country, the future is bright for The Bigger Lights. "We're very thankful and excited to be where we are right now," says Topher. "But not a whole lot has changed. We're still just kids writing songs in our basement."